" [Ancient MS.]
The Earl of Cromarty, and other MS. historians of the family fully
corroborate this. The Earl says that Hector, incited to revenge
by the foul murder of his nephews, made some attempts to oust the
Macleods from Gairloch during John of Killin's minority, but was
not willing to engage in war with such a powerful chief as Macleod
of Lewis, while he felt himself insecure in his other possessions,
but after arranging matters amicably with his nephew of Kintail,
and now being master of a fortune and possessions suitable to his
mind and quality, he resolved to avenge the murder and to "make
it productive of his own advantage." He summoned all those who
were accessory to the assassination of his sister's children before
the Chief Justice. Their well grounded fears made them absent
themselves from Court. Hector produced the bloody shirts of the
murdered boys, whereupon the murderers were declared fugitives and
outlaws, and a commission granted in his favour for their pursuit,
"which he did so resolutely manage that in a short time he killed
many, preserved some to justice, and forced the remainder to
a composition advantageous to himself.
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